Expense in North America
North America: Expense was 24.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Expense in North America, 1972–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expense in North America is 24.0%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expense in North America peaked at 31.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 17.8%, in 1972.
That places North America 17th out of 24 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Expense in North America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 17.8% | — |
| 1973 | 17.9% | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 17.9% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 19.5% | +8.9% |
| 1976 | 19.7% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 19.6% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 19.1% | -2.4% |
| 1979 | 18.9% | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 20.5% | +8.6% |
| 1981 | 21.0% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 22.5% | +6.9% |
| 1983 | 22.8% | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 21.5% | -5.8% |
| 1985 | 22.2% | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 22.2% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 21.4% | -3.9% |
| 1988 | 21.0% | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 20.9% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 21.8% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 23.1% | +6.1% |
| 1992 | 22.1% | -4.2% |
| 1993 | 21.7% | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 21.0% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 20.8% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 20.2% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 19.5% | -3.6% |
| 1998 | 18.8% | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 18.2% | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 18.0% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 19.4% | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 19.9% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 20.4% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 20.2% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 20.5% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 20.3% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 20.5% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 22.3% | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 25.0% | +12.1% |
| 2010 | 25.5% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 24.7% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 23.4% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 22.4% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 22.1% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 21.9% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 22.0% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 21.8% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 21.8% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 22.1% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 31.5% | +42.4% |
| 2021 | 30.5% | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 24.1% | -21.1% |
| 2023 | 24.0% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.8% | 17.8% | 19.7% | 8 |
| 1980s | 21.6% | 20.5% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.7% | 18.2% | 23.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.7% | 18.0% | 25.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.8% | 21.8% | 25.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.5% | 24.0% | 31.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 14 Luxembourg 42.2% compare
- 15 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 41.2% compare
- 16 San Marino 40.5% compare
- 17 Lesotho 40.2% compare
- 18 Netherlands 40.0% compare
- 19 Slovakia 39.8% compare
- 20 Belgium 39.7% compare
More economy & growth data for North America
- Services, value added 19.44 trillion current US$ (2021)
- External balance on goods and services -2.8% (2024)
- Trade 28.5% (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added 2.69 trillion current US$ (2021)
- Manufacturing, value added 10.4% (2021)
- Industry (including construction), value added 4.69 trillion current US$ (2021)
- Trade in services 7.5% (2025)
- GDP 25.12 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- GDP 33.10 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) 24.38 trillion current US$ (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense in North America?
- Expense in North America was 24.0% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest expense recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 31.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest expense recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.8% in 1972.
- How does North America rank for expense?
- North America ranks 17th out of 24 groups with data for 2023.
- Is expense rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.